Following its first series win against Southern Indiana, Illinois (7-11) stays home for a midweek matchup against the Bradley Braves (6-12).
Bradley is coming off a series win against Butler, featuring a 21-11 game on Sunday. The Braves have hit more efficiently than the Illini, holding a .278 cumulative batting average compared to the Illini’s .235, and a .782 on-base plus slugging percentage versus the Illini’s .729 OPS.
Historically, the Illini carry a 45-24-1 record over the Braves, having won three out of the last four matchups against the Braves but having lost four out of the last five at Illinois Field. The most recent game between the programs resulted in a 7-6 Bradley win in Peoria, Illinois. Illinois was victorious the last time Bradley came to Illinois Field, winning 6-4 in 2023. That win broke a four-game losing streak to Bradley at home. The Illini are 24-12-1 versus the Braves when playing at home.
Illinois currently holds a slightly better record than Bradley, and it has faced objectively stronger opponents so far this season. Although, the Illini have struggled against opponents with less impressive records, relying on solid pitching to win games when production at the plate is low. Bradley finished 16-32 last season compared to Illinois’ 25-27.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Sam Reed is probable to start on the mound for Illinois, which would be his first start at Illinois Field this season. The lefty is 1-1 on the year with a 10.43 earned run average over 14.2 innings pitched. Reed earned the win for the Illini on Saturday, striking out two batters and letting up zero runs in the 1.2 relief innings turned in.
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Freshman infielder Isaac Sobieszczyk leads Bradley with a .324 batting average and a .429 on-base percentage. Junior catcher Camden Janik is the only Illini with above a .300 batting average, while Bradley’s lineup has five players hitting above that mark.
Bradley lets up slightly fewer runs than the Illini with a 6.43 cumulative ERA compared to Illinois’ 6.75. The Braves’ leader on the mound is right-handed pitcher Noah Edders with a 3-2 record and a 4.25 ERA with 29 strikeouts.
The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Illinois Field on Tuesday for Illinois baseball’s only matchup against Bradley in 2024.
